Wrecked. Love. Torn.

So I have come to a conclusion.

I will no longer post a blog a day.

It is hard for me to do, but tonight at Core group with Kurt, it hit me.  It is important that I stop, it is more harmful than good.

I have been making sure that I keep updated every day....(part of my whole "one a day" new years resolutions)  don't think im flakin like everyone else does on their commitments....or do, I don't care.  

I have neglected reading my Bible and spending time with God to make sure that I have kept caught up with my blog.  An online site where I write whatever I want for a small group of people to read. So really, it is NOT important.  I have not made sure I have kept up on my QT or went back to make sure I did the days I missed...WHY  the Bible is so great and filled with great stuff.  God's word!!  How could I have gotten so mixed up?!?!

The idea of trust and worry has been placed on my heart lately.  Trust God.  He's the God of the universe, of all things, what can't He do?  Nothing.  

In Core we talked about second chances, crazy stories, crazy people, God's power, Christian influence..... I heard a story about a missionary who didn't trust God to keep him and his family safe in the location they were serving.  The rattle snakes were all over and might get one of his three boys or his wife.  He didn't trust where God had called him, so he moved to the safety of nowhere Kansas.  

One day, his boys were crawling under the house and exploring when the two older boys fell in a rattle snake nest and were bitten all over.  The younger, and the two bitten crawled out.  Their father threw the bitten boys in the truck. Backed out and ran over the littlest, killing him.  The two older boys died at the hospital.  The father came home to find his wife had died of a heart attack from the shock of seeing her youngest in the driveway.  He lost his whole family because he didn't trust that God would keep him safe where he had been called.  That's a true story.  Not trying to scare you, but God is a powerful God.  Why don't we trust Him?

We talked about holding on to Jesus with two hands.....not one on Him and one on the earthly possession or passion in our life.  We will ultimately be torn away from Jesus if we can't let go of the other things.  He should come first.  

I say I live for Christ...but how much of my living days do I spend with Him?  Shawn talked in Sunday school about our days broken into one year and how many straight days we do the things we do.  Sleep consumed a lot of our days....makes sense.  Movies, internet, video games consumed a huge amount as well.   some 30 days.   QT/Church/Youth group = 5 ish.  WOW  some "living for Christ" huh.  Lately I have felt extremely lukewarm.

LUKEWARM = wanting to be saved from the penalty of our sin, but NOT wanting to be saved from sin.  

HOW could I let myself get to this point?!?!  It's jsut a way im feeling.....but tonight, that changes.  I WILL be different.  I WILL offend people.  I WILL stand up for what's right.  I WILL risk my reputation.  I WILL set down my pride. 

Feel free to call me out on any of this.  The Lord has put it on my heart to change.  

An interesting point was made tonight and I fully agree;

calling people out on cussing and getting upset is not something to make a big deal about.  I most likely will say "hey, come on now" but end it there.  Just so I don't let a kid go on without somewhere getting a sense of what manners are.  But I will not lecture.  If a kid gains good morals....SWEET.   But if a kid does not: lie, cheat, steal, cuss, murder anyone, rape, fight or do anything bad; but doesn't know Jesus, he is STILL going to Hell.   hmmm...sounds like ethics and morals aren't something to lose a kids respect over.  Don't get me wrong, we can't let kids run around being little punks, but I would rather LOVE on a kid the best I can and get him to Jesus than "whip him into shape".  Even "kids in shape" will end up in Hell without Jesus.

Just tonights crazy wrecking of my old self.  I go to bed new and wake up refreshed.  goodnight all.

I love.

-Tyler